mad in pursuit family history

In July 2005, we got Nellie's death certificate from the State
of Missouri. It confirmed that the 23-year-old had died from
abortion-induced peritonitis. It was pronounced a "homicide" and signed
off on by the Deputy Coroner. I called the St. Louis Medical Examiner
and asked about a formal inquest report. The copy arrived on August 25,
2005.

A hearing was held in front of 6 jurors the day after Nellie died.
Witnesses called were a policemen, a doctor, a girlfriend, and the
husband Harry Kralemann. The report consists of a transcript of their
testimony and autopsy results. Their conclusion was "homicide" resulting
from peritonitis following an induced abortion.

What happened. Some time during the day on Tuesday, March 25,
1913, Nellie sent for her friend Pauline Wondracheck because she was
having terrible abdominal and back pain. Pauline had also been by the
previous day and Nellie had complained of not being well.

Pauline lived about 4 miles away, on N. Newstead & Kossuth, in
Nellie's childhood neighborhood.1 Pauline was older -- 39,
with two small children. A mother figure, perhaps. She claimed not to
know a thing, except that Nellie had a history of belly aches and
"hysterical spells." Nellie was a good friend, said Pauline, but she was
"deep."

Pauline applied hot towels to Nellie's stomach and back and gave her
a liniment rub-down on her back and limbs. About 5 P.M. Pauline needed
to return home to her kids, so she summoned Harry from work. Harry must
have called Dr. Keim immediately because he arrived while Pauline was
still getting her coat and boots on.

The doctor didn't know Nellie -- had only previously treated Harry.
His gyn examination revealed the problem immediately and she admitted
that someone had induced an abortion. But she would say no more.

After she woke up screaming with pain at 3 A.M. the next morning,
Harry called the doctor back to her bedside. Dr. Keim arrived about 6
A.M. but apparently didn't stay long and left Harry alone with her.

By 10 A.M. -- by the time Pauline got back to sit with her again --
she was dead.

Harry's story. Nellie and Harry had gotten married only 7
weeks before she died -- on Feb 5, 1913. He denied any premarital sex
and claimed she'd had a menstrual period shortly before they got
married. But he knew she was pregnant because she told him and he knew
she was taking a string of home remedies2 to bring on her
period -- calomel, hot toddies, turpentine -- but he had forbidden her
to seek an intervention from anyone.

He said that her terrible pain had begun about two weeks before. His
story was a bit muddled, but he was still insisting that it was kidney
trouble.

The autopsy. From my reading, the autopsy gives the lie to
Harry's claim. Her uterus was stretched three times its normal size and
held the remnants of placental tissue.